In 1805, as flag captain aboard HMS Prince of Wales, he returned to England for Robert Calder's court martial, following perceived inaction at the Battle of Cape Finisterre.

[2] In March 1801, Cuming was in command of HMS Russell, part of the fleet under Admiral Hyde Parker sent to break up the League of Armed Neutrality.

Parker was recalled to England, and command devolved to Nelson, who was not so trusting of Russia's good intentions and took 11 of his ships of the line to the Gulf of Finland anyway.

[12] Cuming, in Russell, was left behind with HMS Edgar, Saturn, Agamemnon, Raisonable, and Glatton and a frigate to cruise the coast and keep an eye on the Swedish fleet.

Presuming this force was destined for the Channel, the Admiralty responded by ordering Prince of Wales to take up a position west of Cape Finisterre and intercept.

The partial clearing of fog at 11:00 on 22 July revealed the allied fleet of 20 ships of the line, heading east-southeast towards Ferrol and Calder gave the order to pursue.

Prince of Wales later returned to England for the hearing, depriving Nelson of one of his most powerful ships and Cuming of the opportunity to fight at the Battle of Trafalgar.

[19] In June 1808, Cuming commissioned the newly built HMS Bombay and sailed her to the Mediterranean, where she formed part of Edward Pellew's fleet on blockade duty at Toulon.

[1][21] Lieutenant Nesbit Willoughby was one of those sent aboard Prøvesteenen at the Battle of Copenhagen, and, after suppressing a mutiny and returning to Russell with prisoners, Cuming ordered him cheered.

Later, during the Baltic Campaign, when Russell was on blockade duty at Karlskrona, Willoughby was judged to be insolent by Cuming and was consequently ordered to never leave the poop deck without authorisation.